Even while measles cases in the United States top 100, and the finger-pointing as to who is at fault continues, Europe is envious. According to an article published by NBC News, Europe had 3,840 cases of measles last year, an improvement from more than 10,000 cases the year before. That's compared to a total of 644 cases in the U.S. last year.
"In Europe, we are looking at the American continent as the example of measles elimination," Niklas Danielsson, senior expert in the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program at the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC), told NBC News. "We look at it with some envy."
Even though there have been regular outbreaks in the U.S., there hasn't been a major epidemic since 1989-1991, when 55,000 cases of measles were diagnosed and 123 children died. After health officials began recommending two measles vaccines instead of one in 1989, measles almost disappeared.
Health officials blame the current U.S. outbreak on parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, mainly because of safety concerns.
According to NBC News, cases of measles in the U.S. are always caused by an imported case. But, they say, infections can only spread if there are unvaccinated people to catch it.
To read the entire NBC News story, go here.
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